Trolley replacer



June 5, 1923. 1,457,677

- M. M. sYKEs TROLLEY REPLACER Filed Oct, 26, 1922 INVENTOR. ,4Z Ms/r5.5

Patented .lune 5, 1923.

untreu 4stares Partnr risicao TROLLEY REPLACER.

Application tiled October 26, 1922. Serial No. 591,114.

To all whom may cmwern: Be it known that I, MILES M. SYKEs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State of California, have inventeda new and useful Trolley Replacer, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in trolley replacers, and its particular Objectis to provide a means in connec-V tion with the trolley of an electriccar for rie-engaging the same with the trolley wire in case it becomes' disengaged. For this purpose it is proposed to usea second wheel mounted in operative relation to the trolley wheel and adapted to engage the trolley wire whenever the trolley jumps 0H the same This second wheel is constructed 'and disposed in. such a manner that it will auto-v matically work the trolley back into its operative position without requiring the attendance of an operator. Further objects and advantages of' my invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

The preferred form of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure l'represents afslde elevation of my device. Figure 2 a. top plan View of the same and Figure 3 a side elevation of my .device as attached to an electric car. While l have shown only lthe preferred form of the invention it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the c laims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The trolley (1) comprisin a narrow wheel provided with a perip eral groove (2) is rotatably supported in the trolley rod (3) extending from an electric car (3'), in a slanting direction, preferably at an an gie of about 35 degrees, and is normally held in contact with the overhead Wire (4) `by means of a strong spring (5) bearing algainst a stationary member (5') and actihg on ayoke (5) pivotally engaging the lbwer forked end of the rod as at (6'). It frequently happens that especially in passing crossings the trolleyjumps olf the wire and is thereafter lifted by the spring so as to laterally engage-the wire. In the lat-` ter case it can be returned to its o erative position only with the assistance o an operator who pulls the trolley downwardly by means of a cable (6), engaging the upe;`

V Enid of thel rod (3) through the lik 'plane of the wire (4) whereupon the trolley spring re-establishes the lengagement be- 'tween the trolley and the wire.' My device is designed to render the assistance of the operator unnecessary, and comprises a second wheel (8) supported in the forked end (9)- of a second rod (11) pivotally supported as shown at (12) in an arm (13) extending from the rod (3) upwardly in the plane of the latter rod. The' arm (13) may be secured to the rod (3) in any suitable manner as. by the Y (14) secured on the rod (3) by means of set screws (16). The second rod is held in substantially parallel relation to the first rod by means of a strong spring (17), an adjustable stop (18) threadedly engaging the rod (11) -and provided with a head (19) limiting the downward x(no)tion'of the rod (11) relative to the rod 3 he wi'aeel (18) is considerably wider than the trolley as shown in Figure 2 and is provided with a deep central groove (21) and broad flaring fianges (22). The two rods are dimensioned and disposed in such a manner that normally when the trolley-is engaged with the wire (4) the deep groove (21) does not touch the Wire. While in this position? the inner-lines (23) of the flaring flanges are substantially on a llevel with the outer periphery of the flanges (24) of the trolley, while the outer lines (26) of the flaring flanges are considerably higher.-

The operation of my device is as follows: Normally the trolley (1) is forced into operative contact with the trolley wire by means of the trolley spring (5), and when in this position the wheel 8) does not touch -the wire,I but the two armg flanges straddle the same. If, for some reason or other, the trolley (1) jumps oil' the wire the latter will be immediately engaged by one of the two flaring iianges (22)' of the wheel (8). The particular point of engagement is not of importance, and will be overned more or less by the intensity of t e cause that made the trolleylo'se its contact with the wire. Assuming that a central portion of one of the flaring flan es has been engaged, the wheel (8) will t en be'caused to rotate as the' electric car proceeds to travel, due to its own momentum, and the' wire will be worked downwardly on the inclined plane so as to force the-wheel (8) into a central position relative to the wire. Now

' the connection between the two rods (3) and (11) is perfectly rigid as far as the vertical plane is concerned, and the trolley has to follow any horizontal motion of the Wheel (8). Before the latter Wheel allows the Wire to enter the deep groove (21) the Wire has to pass one of the flanges (24) of the trolley and being disposed at that time at an elevation slightly higher than the top of the trolleyflange, it will find no obstruction nntil it is disposed substantially centrally over the trolley at which time it may slip off the flaring flange into the dee-p groove of the Wheel (8) and engage the bottom of the trolley groove before reach-y ing the bottom of the groove (2l) of the wheel (8,). Hereby the operative connection between the trolle and the Wire has been re-established anc. the .motor or" the electric car is supplied with new energy Without requiring the assistance of an attendant.

l claim:

l. In a device of the character described, a trolley Wire, a trolley adapted to engage thesame, a slanting support for the trolley having means associated therewith for torcthe trolley against the Wire and a member having flaring flanges ythereon formed to engage the Wire only when the latter becomes disengaged from the trolley and to reengage the trolley with the wire.

2. In a device of the character described,

a trolley wire7 a'trolley adapted to engage the same. a support lor the trolley having means associated therewith for forcing the trolley against the Wire and a Wheel snpported in the vertical plane of the trolley having flaring flanges thereon formed to engage the Wire only When the trolley becomes disengaged from the same and to reengage the trolley with the Wire.

3. ln a device of the character described, a trolley wire. a trolley adapted to engage the same, a support for the trolley having means associated therewith for forcing the trolley against the Wire, a Wheel and means for supporting the same in the vertical plane of the trolley associated with the trolley support, said Wheel having flaring flanges thereon formed to engage the wire only when the trolley becomes disengaged from the same and to re-engage the trolley with the Wire.

ln a device of the character' described, atrolley Wire, a trolleyadapted to engage the same, a support for the trolley having means associated therewith for forcing the trolley against the Wire, and a Wheel snpported in the vertical plane oit the trolley having a connection with the trolley support adapted to yield in said plane and having llaringiflanges thereon formed to engage the wire only when the trolley becomes disengaged from the same and to ren engage the trolley with the wire.

5. ln a device of the character described in combination with a trolley having yielding means associated therewith for forcing the same in Contact with a trolley wire a trolley replacing wheel supported in operative relation to the trolley having flaring flanges associated therewith formed to engage the wire only when the trolley becomes disengaged and to re-engage the trolley with the Wire.

6. ln a device of the character described, a trolley Wire. a trolley adapted to engage the same7 a support for the trolley having means associated therewith for forcing the trolley against the Wire, an arm secured to the support in the vertical plane ot the trolley, a fork pivoted to the same. spring means for maintaining the fork and the trolley snpport in substantially parallel relatioin and a wheel supported in the end o? the 'fork in operative proximity to the trolley having Haring flanges associated there with formed to engage the Wire when the trolley becomes disengaged and to re-engage the trolley with the wire.

i MILES M. SYKES; 

